Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

VEVAY TOWNSHIP AND ITS HISTORY

749

ers did at that time. I became acquainted with all of the pioneers
who resided there, and gained a little information concerning their
pioneer life.
I found a choir organized, composed of Charles Holden, Elizabeth and Octavia Hubbard, Mary and Jennette Olds, and I will
say, as Edgar A. Guest did in his poem, "The Choir at Pixley,"
only with a little variation:
"The choir we had at Hubbard's was fine for looks and styles,
And today if I could hear it I would walk a hundred miles."
The old pioneers were Mr. Franklin Olds, Amadon Holden, Ira
Iubbard, Edwin II. Hubbard, Alfred (Gallup, Mr. Burt, John
Royston, C. C. Royston, Willett family and Deacon Olds. Most
of the pioneers came from the state of New York, and, as in all
stages of life, some were independent financially, but the majority
were pIoor and had to struggle in all ways to )prepare a home and
furnish food and clothing for their flamilies. Mainy times the
pioneers were o(bliged to live withl some kind neighbor, while they
cut down trees to procure the logs to build their houses.
It required a good carpenter to put up a first-class log house.
Very often the pioneers were crowded for room, but the essence
of good cheer filled their hearts, as they toiled day by day.
I understand that Mr. John Royston (father of Ellery Royston)
blazed trees for a number of miles to prepare for roads made by
the early settlers later. Many times the roads became impassable.
Often a yoke of oxen hitched to a wagon would get so fastened in
the mud that it required two yokes of oxen to draw them out.
The neighbors kept in close touch with each other and were
always willing to help in case of emergency.
For water they often depended upon a neighbor who had dug a
well, unless they could find a spring of clear running water near by.
They made a yoke of wood to be placed over their shoulders, and
suspended a pail of water from each end, carrying them very conveniently. In bringing water to the surface of the well a rope
would be fastened to a pail with which to draw it up, then after
a while came
"The old oaken bucket,
The iron-bound bucket,
The moss-covered bucket,
That hung in the well."